Alpha Ember (ALPHA KANE BOOK 2)

23. Demon in Gentleman's Clothes

Tyra

My hands clutched his shirt, heart beating frantically where our chests were pressed against each other. "I want to stay downstairs."

"You don't get to stay downstairs if you're going to be nasty to Ember," Jett replied curtly, gaze ahead as he climbed the stairs.

Again, that flash of shame. But there was something else beneath it this time, something that tasted bitter on my dry tongue. "You like her," I said accusingly.

"She's a good person," he replied.

I glared at his faintly condescending tone. "And I'm not?"

He kicked open a door, stepped inside and kicked it back closed. It looked like the same room I'd woken up in but I wasn't completely certain. I hadn't gotten the chance to give it a close look- too busy screaming in pain and all. Now that I was in my right mind again I could see that the place was classy but comfy, there was even a sitting area in the middle of the room- although my eyes couldn't help but wander over to the bed a few feet away.

"You haven't been acting like you're a good person," Jett said, the leather on the seat creaking as he settled us onto one of the sofas.

It took me a moment to remember that he was responding to my question, I'd been absorbed by the pull of his eyes again. They were beautiful in an intense way and it'd be a shame not to admire them- no matter how closed off they appeared. The rest of his face was handsome in a classical way, but his good looks were given a dark edge by the jagged claw mark on the right side of his face and the silver piercings on his nose, lips and ears sent a fierce message of warning that matched the look in his eyes. He didn't seem like a man you'd willingly mess with. I doubted even the sneaky lower fae who went after anyone with money or power would try approaching him with their sneaky bargains.

And I was in his arms.

"Do they treat you right?" I asked, tracing his scar with a finger. "Despite the fact that you're a halfling?"

He ran his hands up and down my sides, sending an involuntary shiver up my spine. "The fae treated you horribly because of what you are."

It wasn't a question but I nodded anyway, letting my hand fall back into my lap. "Unfortunately racism isn't just a human thing."

"You were afraid Ember would be the same," he said.

I nodded.

His hand stilled on my lower back and I felt the touch of his hand like a brand, the warmth of it spreading to my tense muscles and whispering for me to melt against him. I clenched my teeth against the attraction. He's been perfectly calm since we met and if that meant he wasn't as affected by me then there was no way in hell I was revealing my own weakness towards him.

"They're not like that," Jett said, oblivious to my inner turmoil. "Most of the people in our pack aren't that way. If they were, I wouldn't be here."

That made perfect sense. And it also made me a perfect jerk for the way I'd treated Ember.

Jett saw the regret on my face. "You can make it up to her by apologizing and getting better."

I gestured between us. "How long do you think this will last?"

"If we slept together it would be gone quicker."

"The only problem with that plan is I'm not sleepy," I said, stretching out my legs on the couch.

"My plan had nothing to do with sleep," he said dryly.